Supermarkets will have to foot the bill for their trolleys when they are abandoned around a Hampshire borough.

Havant Borough Council is clamping down on the dumped trolleys after hundreds caused a "blight" to the area.

From Monday, stores will be forced to take responsibility for their property under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act.

They will be charged £50 for each trolley the council finds, to cover the cost of removal, storage and disposal.

'Major problem'

Many supermarkets and stores in Havant have adopted more measures to prevent their trolleys being dumped during the three-month "grace period" that followed a consultation with the businesses affected.

Gary Morton, from the borough council, said: "We had a major problem that was increasing.

"We were finding more and more trolleys being abandoned, not just on the streets, but also in places such as Hermitage Stream, Giant Steps in The Warren and Forest End in Waterlooville.

"The introductory period of this scheme has seen a significant reduction in the number of trolleys found abandoned."